Bottle-opening device



April 16, 1929. y I CNES 1,709,669

BOTTLE OPENING DEVICE Filed Jan. 15, 1928 2 sneets-shet 1 In/vento@ April 116, 1929. p, JONES 1,709,669

BOTTLE OPENING DEVICE Filed Jan. 13, 192,8 2 sheets-sheetV 2 jgv'gt amantes-1c yg PAM ,(0/1/52 @Het mm1 Patented Apr. 16, 1929.

UNITED STATES PAUL JONES, OF COLONY, OKLAHOMA.

BOTTLE-OPENING DEVICE.

Application filed January 13, 1928. Serial No. 246,555.

This invention relates to improvements in bottle opening devices and more particularly to devices of this type which are designed for use in the opening of bottles provided with crimped ca-p closures.

In the use of bottle openers of the ordinary construction the cap is bodily removed by the opener, from the mouth of the bottle, and where bottles contain carbonated beverages and the beverages are either carbonated to a high pressure or are of a ,nature or consistency such that they tend to foam when relieved o'f pressure, the contents ot such bottles areliable to be forcibly ejected onto surrounding objects thus causing considerable annoyance and inconvenience. Thereforcthe present invention has as one of itsobjects to provide a bottle opening device embodying means whereby the cap of the bottle may be initially punctured, so as to permit of venting of the bottle and a delivery of a considerable portion of the gaseous contents thereof prior to actual removal of the cap, thus effectually overcoming the disadvantages referred to above and attending the use of bottle openers of the ordinary construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bottle opening device so constructed that it may be readily applied to the mouth of the bottle from which the cap is to be removed and readily manipulated so as to el'ect puncturing of the cap, the puncturing means being provided with a passageway for the escape of the gaseous contents of the bottle and a valve being provided` for controlling the escape of the said gaseous contents.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a bottle opening device of the class embodying means for punoturing the cap closure olf the bottle, novel means for sealing the connection of the device with the bottle cap, so that there can be no overflow of the liquid contents of the bottle past the cap and the opening device nor any escape of the gaseous contents of the bottle, except by way of the passageway provided in the puncturing member of the device and the valve which controls such passage or escape. I i

Another object of the invention is to provide a bottle opening device of theclass referred to which may rst be em loyed to puncture the cap closure of the bott e to permit of escape of the surplus gaseous contents of the bottle and which device may then be employed for bodily removing the cap.

While the accompanying drawings and the description which is to rfollow, constitute a disclosure of the referred embodiment of the invention, it wil be understood that various changes may be made within the scope of what is claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the bottle'opening deviceembodying the invention, the view illustrating the device applied to the mouth ot' the bottle closed by a cap closure of theiordinary type;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the device, the puncturing member of they device being shown in elevated or inactive position and the actuating means therefor being illustrated in a like position;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 3 3 of Figure 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the device:

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 5 5 of Figure 2- looking in the( direction indicated by the arrows;

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of th puncturing member of the device; i

Figure 7 is a horizontal sectional View taken substantially on the line 7-7 of Figure 3 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; i

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure l illustrating the manner in which the device may be employed in bodily removing the closure cap from the mouth of a bottle.

The device embodying the invention comprises a hollow cylindrical body l which is of metal and which is closed at its top by a preferably dome shaped top wall 4 which is thickened at its mid portion as at 5 and has its thickened portion formed with a threaded opening for a purpose to be presently explained,

In order that the body of the device may be securely anchored upon the mouth of a bottle and the cap which closes the mouth of the bottle, in a position to provide for actuation of the cap-puncturing member of the device, the body l is provided at its lower end with an approximately semi-cylindrical ooA depending flange 7 which is thickened at its lower portion to provide a bead 8 which is rounded and projects inwardly so as to engage beneath the rounded shoulder which is formed immediately below the top of the mouth of the bottle, the bottle being indicated in the drawings by the reference letter B and the said shoulder by the reference letter S. By reference to Figure 2 ol the drawings it will be observed that when the device is applied to the mouth of the bottle from which the cap closure is to be removed, and in a position to provide for actuation of the cap-puncturing member of the device, the bead 8 engages beneath and partly surrounds the shoulder S, and the closure cap for the bottle which is indicated by the reference letter` C.

The cap-puncturing member of the device comprises a plunger which is indicated by the numeral 9 and which is preferably exteriorly ot' cylindrical form and is provided with a piercing lowere'nd 10 preferably formed by providing the lower end ot' the plunger 9, which plunger is of metal, with three symmetrically arranged beveled faces 11, so that the lower end of the plunger is in effect of inverted pyramidal form. The plunger 9 is supported within the body 1 by means of a yieldable supporting member which is indicated b the. numeral 12 and which is preferably o soft rubber and therefore compressible. The body 12 is exteriorly of cylindrical form and of a diameter slightly less than the interior diameter of the body 1 of the device, and is provided, axially, with a bore 13 within which the plunger 9 is housed, the bore being increased in diameter at its upper end as at 14 to `provide a shoulder 15 which supports a circumseribing annular flange 16 formed at the upper end of the plunger 9, the plunger substantially filling the bore 13 of the body 12 except at the lower end of the bore, where the pointed orl puncturing end of the plunger normally occupies substantially the same plane as that occupied by the lower edge of the body 1. At this point it will "be evident, and particularly by reference to Figure 2 of the drawings, that when the device is assembled with the mouth of a bottle from which the closure cap is to be removed and which cap is to be punctured by the member 9, prior to its removal, bodily, from the mouth of the bottle, the puncturing end of the plunger 9 will be positioned centrally above and substantially in contact `with the upper side of the cap (l, the plunger 9 being centered by its engagement in the borel of the yieldable supporting body 12.

The plunger 9 is formed axially, in its upper end, with a recess 17, of substantially cylindrical contour, which recess is restricted at its upper end by an overhanging bead 18, and the lower end of an adjusting stem 19 is provided with an expanded head 20 preferably formed by providing radial incisions in the Asaid end of the stem and stamping out the portions of the stem between said incisions to provide approximately concavoconvex head members which have their convex sides presented outwardly, it being observed, by reference particularly to Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings, that the head 20 is received within the recess 17 and that in this manner the upper end of the plunger 9 is connected w-ith the lower end ot' the adjusting stem 19, the said stem 19 being exteriorly threaded and adjustably fitted within the threaded opening 6 in the top 4 of thev body 1 of the device. It will be observed by reference to Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings that the stem 19 is provided, near its lower end and above the head 20, with a flat substantially circular head 21 and that, in the normal positions of the parts, the headl 21 rests at its under side against the upper end of the yield-able supporting body 12, and it will be evident, at this point, that when the stem 19 is rotated so as to feed the same in a downward direction through the opening 6, downward pressure .will be exerted, by the head 21, first upon .the body 12 to compress the same until the under side of the said head 21 contacts the upper end of the plunger 9, whereupon further adjustment of the stem 19, in the manner stated, will result in downward movement of the said plunger and a further compression of the body 12, thus causing the pointed lower end of the plunger to pierce the closure cap C and penetrate the same to a greater or less distance depending upon the 'extent of rotative adjustment ot' the sten1 19.

In order to provide for escape of the surplus volume of the gaseous content of the beverage within the bottle, at the time the closure cap C is pierced or punctured, the plunger 9 is formed axially with a bore or pssageway 22 which is provided at its lower end with outwardly and downwardly inclined branches 23 which open through the faces 11 of the pointed puncturing end 10 of the said plunger, the upper'end of the bore or passageway 22 opening into the recess 17. The adjusting stem 19 is likewise formed axially with a bore or passage- ,way 24 which, at its lower end, opens through the lower end of the stem and communicates with the recess 17, and at its upper end this bore 24 opens into a valve casing 25 which is preferably integrally formed at the upper end of the stem 19. A plug valve 26 is rotatably mounted in the casing 25 and is provided with an axially extending bore 27 and with a diametric bore 28, the bore 27 communicating at its inner end with the bore 28 and at its outer end opening through the outer end of the said valve,

the valve being provided at its other end with a finger piece 29 whereby it may be ,rotatably adjusted within the casing 25 so as to bringits diametric bore 28 into and out of alinement with the bore 24 of the stem 19. It will now be understood that the valve 26 constitutes a means whereby the adjusting stem 19 may be conveniently rotatably adjusted so as to effect downward adjustment of the plunger 9 and puncturing of the closure cap by the pointed lower end A10 of this plunger, the valve at such time being preferably adjusted to assume a closed position or in other words a osition with its diametric bore 28 out of reglstration with the bore 24 of the stem 19. Upon puncturing of the closure cap by the pointed lower end of they plunger 9 to such extent that the lower ends of the branch bores 23 will be below the surface of the cap and consequently in communication with the interior of the bottle, the valve 26is rotatably adjusted so-as to bring its diametric bore 28 into alinement or registration with the bore 24, and at this time the surplus gaseous content of the liquid beverage within the bottle will be permitted to escape either to the atmosphere or, if the beverage has a tendency to foam, the delivery end of the valve 26 may be presented to a glass or other drinking utensil by tilting the bottle with which the device is engaged.

After the bottle has been vented, the stem 19 may be reversely rotated so as to retract the plunger 9 through the engagement of the head 2O with the overhangin-g portion 18 of the plunger, the supporting body 12 expanding and reassuming its normal condition and position. After the parts of the device have been restored to their normal position, through the adjustment of the stem 19 and the expansion of the supporting body 12 for the plunger 9, in the manner stated, the device may be disengaged from the mouth of the bottle and the cap closing the said mouth, and then employed, in the manner illustrated in Figure 8 of the drawings, for the purpose of completely bodily removing the cap. As illustrated in this figure, the device is, for the purpose stated, so arranged that one'end of the bead 8 will rest upon the upper side of the closure cap at one side thereof, and the other end of the bead will engage beneath the rim of the cap at the opposite side thereof, the device, at such time, assuming the full line position shown in the said Figure 8. By moving the device vbodily to substantially the dotted line position shown in Figure 8, the cap will be pried 'from the mouth of the bottle, and in order that the bead 8 may have a firm engagement with the rim of the cap, regardless of which end of the bead is engaged with the said rim,

r the said bead is formed at each end, in its upper side, with a groove 30, as best shown the body 12 which, as previously stated, is

of soft rubber and constitutes a support for the said plunger 9, will result in a circumferential expansion of this body so as to cause the same to bind against the wall of the body 1 and likewise, due to the vertical compression of the body 12, cause the lower end thereof to so firmly bind against the upper side of the closurecap- C as to efectually prevent any escape of the gaseous content of the beverage within the bottle,'from the bottle .except by way of the passages pro'- vided for this purpose. Therefore, in the use of the device, the bottle to be opened is efectually vented before complete removal of the closure cap and there is therefore no likelihood of the contents of the bottle being ejected onto surrounding objects.

Having thus described the invention, what lI claim is:

1. In a bottle opening device of the class described, a body having a portion for an- 'choring engagement with the mouth of a bottle, a plunger vertically slidable within the body and having a piercing end for end of the plunger, the body having a closed upper end, and a threaded stem having threaded engagement through said end of the body and coacting with the plunger and operable to adjust the plunger to cause Kits piercing end to puncture said cap, the said stern having a passageway therethrough in communication with the passageway in the plunger. 4

2. In a bottle opening device of the class described, a body having a portion for anchoring engagement with the mouth of a bottle, a plunger vertically slidable within the body to engage the closure and having a piercing end for puncturing the closure cap of the bottle, a yieldable, elastic supporting member within the body yieldably supporting the plunger,'the said lplunger havingla passageway therethrough opening placed in communication with the interior of the body upon puncturin'g of the closure cap by the piercing end of the plunger, the body having a closed upper end, and a threaded stem having threaded engagement in the said closed upper end of the body and coacting with the plunger and operable to adjust the plunger to cause its piercing end to puncture said cap, the said stem having a passageway therethrough in communication with the passageway in the plunger, the said stem having a valve casing at its upper end in communication with the upper end of the passageway therein, and a valve adjust-ably mounted in said casing for controlling the discharge end of said passageway in the stem.

3. In a bottle opening device oi the class described, a body having a portion itor anchoring engagement with the mouth of a 'bottle closed by a closure cap, a supporting member ot yieldable resilient material within the body, a plunger within the body supported by said member and having a piercing-` end to be presented to the central portion of the closure cap engaged by the lower end of the yieldable supporting member, and an adjusting stem having threaded engagement with the said body and operable to effeet adjustment of the said plunger against the resiliency of the supporting member to cause puncturing of the closure cap by the piercing end of the plunger and binding of the lower end of the supporting member against the closure cap to provide a seal upon such adjustment of the plunger.

4. In a bottle opening device of the class described, a body having a portion for anchoring engagement with the mouth ot a bottle closed by a closure cap, a supporting member of yieldable resilient material within the body, a plunger within the body supported by said member and having a piercing end to be -presented to the central portion of the closure cap engaged bythe lower end ot the yieldable supporting member, an adjusting stem having threaded engagement with the said body and operable to effect adjustment of the said plunger against the resiliency of the supporting member to cause puncturing of the closure cap by the piercing end of the plunger and binding of the lower end of the supporting member against the closure cap to provide a seal upon such adjustment of the plunger, the said plunger having a passageway therein opening at its lower end through the piercing end of the plunger, the plunger having a recess in its upper end with which the upper end of the passageway communicates, the said adjusting stem having swiveled engagement in said recess and being provided with a passageway likewise in communicationvwith the recess, whereby to provide for discharge of the gaseous contents of the bottle upon piercing of the closure ca thereof.

5. In a bottle opening evice of the class described, a hollow body having a portion for anchoring engagement with the mouth of a bottle provided with a closure cap, a substantially cylindrical supporting member of elastic material within the body having a concentricbore therein, a plunger arranged within the bore ofthe elastic supporting member and having a piercing end,-the said elastic supporting member and the said plunger having coacting shoulder portions providing for support of the plunger yicldably by the said elastic supporti-ng member, an adjusting stem having threaded engagement with the said body and having a head bearing against the upper end ot' the elastic supporting mein ber, the lower end of the said adjusting stem having swiveled engagement with the said plunger, the plunger and the said adjusting stem having passageways formed therein, onevcnd of the passageway in the plunger opening through the piercing end of the plunger, the adjusting stem at its upper end having a valve casing, the passageway in the said stem communicating with the said casing, and a valve plug rotatably mounted in said easing and having a passageway to be brought into and out of communication with the passageway in the stem upon rotative adjustment of the valve.

6. In a bottle opening device of the class described, a body having a portion of arcuate form provided at its lower end with an inwardly projecting bead for anchoring engagement with the shoulder of the mouth of a bottle, in one .position of adjustment of the device with respectto a bottle to be opened, a plunger carried by the said body and having a piercing end for engagement with the closure cap of the bottle, and means upon the body coacting with the plunger and operable to adjust the plunger to cause puncturing of said cap by the piercing end of the plunger, the plunger having a vent passageway therethrough opening at one end through its piercing end, the bead of the said engaging portion of the body being provided in its upper side at its opposite ends with grooves for engagement with the rim of the bottle cap in another position of adjust* ment of the device with respect to the mouth of the bottle.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

PAUL JONES. 

